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Editors' Review

Paragon Backup & Recovery 14 Free (64-bit) creates full or partial backups of data or entire discs, on schedule or demand. More importantly, it addresses one of the two biggest obstacles keeping many Windows users from backing up their systems: cost. We tried the 64-bit version; a 32-bit download is also available.

Pros

It's free: Paragon's free recovery tool has the essential capabilities of its premium backup solutions, but with fewer options.

It's easy: The other obstacle to effective backups is usage: You can't rescue your system from a backup that doesn't exist. Too many users find backups confusing, but Paragon's Virtual Disc Wizard walks you through each step.

Recovery drive: The Recovery Media Builder creates bootable USB drives or ISO files that can help you boot a sick PC and run a backup.

Cons

User Manual: Clicking User Manual tells you to go the product's home page (no link) and download it yourself. A text Help file is included with the program files.

Go pro: Now that you're considering backup software, take time to be sure you don't need more than Paragon Backup & Recovery Free has to offer. Premium backup tools (like Paragon Backup & Recovery Home) cost much less than pro service or, worse, a new computer.

Bottom Line

No more excuses: Paragon Backup & Recovery 14 Free can back up and restore your Windows PC when things go drastically wrong -- but only if you run it before you need it! That's the other obstacle, and only you can address it.

Publisher's Description

+

From Paragon Software Group:
Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition - a time-tested backup and recovery tool. With it, you will have full control over the security of your system and data. Based on solid commercial backup and recovery software from Paragon Software, Backup & Recovery Free Edition will give you a rich set of features that you can trust. Free Edition can easily create an exact copy of your hard drive, including the operating system, applications, user settings, and all data. Differential backup will allow you to make a backup of only the changed data, thereby speeding up the process and considerably saving the backup storage space. You can place a backup image to a special secured place on the hard disk and get additional level of security to all archives which it contains. Paragon Backup & Recovery also helps you to choose any backup destination - including external storages, CD/DVD/Blu-ray discs, network as well as the secured hidden partition. You'll be able to return the computer to a previous state without losing data and reinstalling and reconfiguring your programs just in one click any time you need it. Restore fast an entire disk, separate partitions or only files you need from the previously created backup image. Even more, you can use Restore with Shrink option - to restore a backup image to a free block of smaller size taking into account only the amount of actual data of the image. You can also create a bootable USB Flash Drive to recover your PC on demand and much more. Protecting data today with Paragon Backup & Recovery Free Edition ensures a safe recovery tomorrow, so start your backups now.

What's new in this version:

Version 14:

Windows 10 support

New Embedder Recovery Media Builder 3.0

Reviser User Interface. The Windows 8 like streamlined, tile-oriented interface has been enhanced by predefined views, which enable to adjust the working environment to particular customer needs.

When that day comes and you actually need to recover something, you are really out of luck (at least I was). I was not able to recover my drive. A question posted to the forum was not answered. A question to tech support got a response that I could pay $100 for support. And I have the paid version of this product.

Summary

I would look elsewhere for backup options, or use those that come with your operating system.

Can't create recovery media. Gives obscure errors when I try to do so. The website forum offers only complicated solutions to this fundamental problem.

Summary

If it works for you right away, good luck. I doubt most people test the full restore process until the really need it. That's too late if you really need it and it doesn't work as advertised. I couldn't produce either CD or USB recovery media successfully. A total waste of my time.

Complex, backup by default results in collection of old school 4GB files by default.
Recover is key but the Linux CD created for full image recover does not show anything, no options, menu, drives. sources just drive on a blue screen.

Paragon would not even respond to this simple issue about the CD sending me to their forum which void of content.

Summary

Move on or find a version of you can use on all your family computers. NOT single machine license like Trueimage is now. Makes me want to pirate it.

Is little confusing at the beginning but once you get it is great solution

Summary

I used it only for Backup and did an extraordinary job.
I used the Dell Backup manager (always crashes), the MyBackup (never load), Microsoft Backup and recovery, naaa, prefer to save my comments on this one.
But Paragon eyes close recommended.

There is a free version -- that comes with many links on every page urging an upgrade to the paid version.

Cons

You get what you pay for.
When the software finally opened, I was faced with a full screen of terms with which I was not familiar. e.g. what is a virtual drive? Can I use an external hard drive? So I went looking for the user manual. Got to be downloaded I was told -- visit the site to download I was told. Four more error messages, followed by me going to the Control Panel and deleting Paragon. This software may meet someone's needs, but it sure doesn't meet mine.

--64-bit version is faster than other backup apps I've tried.
--Backed up my system easily to an external USB hard drive with no problems or error messages -- usually takes me several tries to get backups to work properly (with other software).

Cons

--interface is only OK. A setup wizard would be nice.

Summary

--I don't understand a previous reviewer who said this wasn't supported. It IS supported, it IS on Paragon's web site, and it DOES work.
--I don't understand a previous reviewer who said this would only back up to the primary hard drive (which indeed would be pointless if the HD crashed). I had no trouble whatsoever backing up to an external USB drive. Jeez ...

actually, it can. you have to do a search for it, as they don't advertise it. The manual and such are also available. This is v14, not the new v15. Still, it beats the hell out of a lot of the others, even if you buy it.

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